Creating revenue: The government of Enugu shuts the market
Tuesday saw the closure of a portion of the Ogige Market in Nsukka by the Enugu State Board of Internal Revenue due to the purported nonpayment of a N21,000 yearly charge by some vendors.
Creating revenue: The government of Enugu shuts the market
This was disclosed by the board’s executive chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Nnamani, in a Nsukka interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He added that Governor Peter Mbah had authorized the yearly charge.
The chairman threatened legal action from the government if anybody attempted to reopen market portions without permission, although he did not disclose the previous charge.
“The board blocked some portions of the market, and the seal will stay in place until the dealers in those areas pay the required amount.
Nnamani threatens, saying, “Anyone who unseals it without the board’s approval will be prosecuted.”
In response, a market merchant who wished to remain anonymous informed NAN that certain sections of the market had been blocked off since the traders had neglected to pay the yearly charge.
When traders arrived to Ogige Market in Nsukka, Enugu State, on Tuesday morning, they found that the Enugu State Government had cordoned off several areas of the market.
“Every merchant in the market has been required to pay N21,000 a year since Mbah took office in 2023 in order to support his administration’s efforts to improve the state.
The rise from the N3,000 we used to pay under former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is too high, and traders are feeling hesitant to pay.
The dealer expressed regret at the state government’s realization of its threat to close Ogige Market if vendors did not pay the required amount.
The decision was made, according to Mrs. Ngozi Ozioko, Chairman of the Ogige Market Amalgamated Traders Association in Nsukka, to convey to traders that the government took the collection of fees seriously.
Since January, I have advised merchants to pay the charge in order to prevent the market from being sealed.
Although they initially thought it was a joke, this morning the vendors hurried to pay it as the authorities had closed off several areas of the market.
“I understand that times are tough economically, but dealers are not required to pay the fee all at once. Instead, they may choose to pay it in installments.”
